Bravery is Obsidian
by PenValkyrie
Summary: Dannie is working at the bar when suddenly a drunk customer attacks her. After being rescued by pirates, and accidentally trapping herself on her ship she must work hard to fit in with the crew and maybe even find love on the way...


It was the beginning of another busy day at the bar, and Dannie scrubbed the floors, just like any other day. Customers scurried to open seats, and chattered about their normal, daily lives while ignoring the girl in tattered clothing who quietly kept to her chores. She was grateful for her job, and how it gave her an escape from the psychotic mess she called home. The flamboyant setting of the bar soothed her soul and washed away all of her troubles. This was her favorite part of the day.

She sighed in contentment as she looked pensively at the polished floor, and wiped away the beads of sweat that had begun to trickle down from her forehead. She lifted up the bucket of soapy water sitting inaudibly next to her, and hoisted herself off the sparkling floor that had taken up most of her morning. She beheld the clean bar filled with noisy customers. The feeling of pride seeped into her, as her face lit up in a grin and her hands stationed themselves on her hips. She had worked in this hectic pun since she was fifteen, and it had never looked this clean before. For five years this has been her second home, her escape, her pride and joy.

"Not bad, kid. Now take this to those young gentlemen over there." Ordered her boss as he shoved a couple of mugs into her hands and pointed to a table of rowdy men snickering to themselves.

Balancing the jugs of beer in her arms, she ambled over to the group. Plastering a polite smile on her face, she tried to avoid their nauseating gazes. When the customers all had a mug, she hastily spun in the other direction to continue her work.

"Hey! Leaving already?" One of the men chuckled as he crudely seized her arm. He approached her face studying her with glazed eyes. "You're actually pretty cute. How 'bout I buy you a drink, sweet thing?" He murmured as he wrenched her obsidian hair. _Cute? How many drinks has this guy had?_

In one fluid motion, he clutched her chin and coerced her head forward until their faces were centimeters apart. They were so close that Dannie could see her frightened, honey-colored eyes reflecting back at her from the dark, greedy pools of his eyes. His breathe reeked of alcohol, and the offender's mouth widened into a lecherous leer. The man's grimy hands inched their way towards her skirt like a little boy trying to steal a pastry.

"Get your paws," Dannie angrily barked, "The hell away from me!"

The man and his drinking buddies gaped at the petite woman. They had thought the curvy barmaid would be a shy and weak woman. An easy target. They hadn't expected her violent outburst, or the way she icily glared at them now. Unlike the polite girl they had pawed only moments before; this girl had a livid fire lit in her amber eyes, and her target was them.

His astonishment didn't last long though, and his face morphed into an angry snarl. His irritation rolled off of him in waves, and he grabbed the small girl by the collar of her ragged shirt and lifted her off the floor. She angrily spat curses as she kicked her short legs, desperately trying to free herself from the drunkard's grasp.

"You wench; you should treat your customers with respect. Let me teach you a lesson you won't **ever** forget." He roared, and then hurled across the room. Dannie crashed into a table with a sickening thud, and watched with hooded eyed as frightened customers scurried out of the bar. Trembling, she forced herself to her feet and glared at the man and his buddies as they prowled over to where Dannie was standing. _I'm not going down without a fight, mister. _Silently, she reached over to a pile of smashed drinks and hid a broken beer bottle behind her back, waiting for her opponents to make their way over to her.

Suddenly she heard the cock of a gun. She craned her head to see a man with an eye patch, and dark-hair aiming a gun at the group of men. Behind him stood a shorter and broader man, with olive-green eyes, who was wielding a sword in each hand.

The pale man with the eye patch snorted. "Stop flirting with a child. It's embarrassing."

"Filthy pirates…" One of her attackers muttered before the group lunged at the two armed men.

The two parties fought mercilessly, and Dannie watched in pure terror as the "pirates" started to knock her attackers unconscious one by one. The vulgar stories her mother had told her about pirates sprang into her mind. _Why am I just sitting here? _

Dannie raced out the door like death was at her heels. Who knows? Maybe he was. People made way for her on the crowded roads of Yamato as she blindly made her way to the city's famous ports. Eventually, the muffled sound of shouts and footsteps followed her.

Desperately, she searched the docks for a place to hide. She spotted a rather large, open barrel sitting at the edge of the pier. _Well, it looks big enough for me to crawl into. _The muffled sounds of angry shouts drew nearer. Urgently, she threw herself into the barrel and sealed the lid. The sounds of footsteps drew closer, until it literally sounded like they were standing right next to her hiding spot. _Please don't check the barrel. Please don't check the barrel…_

She held her breath and listened, not daring to utter a breath.

"Shit. Looks like the wench got away." An unfamiliar voice slurred. A party of other masculine voices grunted in agreement, and the sound of footfalls drifted farther and farther away from her hiding place. _Thank goodness…_

Relief spread throughout her body like ice swimming in her veins. Her trembling body fell limp, and soon it was utterly impossible to keep her eyes open. She was gently embraced by a peaceful world of black.


End file.
